listen

American  

[lis-uhn] / ˈlɪs ən /

verb (used without object)

• listens,
  present (3rd person singular)
• listened,
  past participle,  past
• listening
  present participle

1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.

2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often followed byto ).

   Children don't always listen to their parents.

3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually followed byfor ).

   to listen for sounds of their return.

4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound.

   The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.

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verb (used with object)

• listens,
  present (3rd person singular)
• listened,
  past participle,  past
• listening
  present participle

1. Archaic. to give ear to; hear.

verb phrase

1. listen in

   1. to listen to a radio or television broadcast.

      Listen in tomorrow for the names of the lottery winners.

   2. to overhear a conversation or communication, especially by telephone; eavesdrop.

      Someone was listening in to his private calls.

listen British  

/ ˈlɪsən /

verb

1. to concentrate on hearing something

2. to take heed; pay attention

   I told you many times but you wouldn't listen

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Synonym Usage

See hear.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• listener
  noun
• relisten
  verb
• unlistening
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• listening
  present
• listened
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• listen
  simple
• listens
  simple
• have listened
  perfect
• has listened
  perfect
• am listening
  progressive
• are listening
  progressive
• is listening
  progressive
• have been listening
  perfect progressive
• has been listening
  perfect progressive

Past

• listened
  simple
• had listened
  perfect
• was listening
  progressive
• were listening
  progressive
• had been listening
  perfect progressive

Future

• will listen
  simple
• will have listened
  perfect
• will be listening
  progressive
• will have been listening
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of listen

First recorded before 950; Middle English lis(t)nen, Old English hlysnan; cognate with Middle High German lüsenen, Swedish lyssna; akin to list ⁵

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Explanation

If you really listen late at night after everyone's asleep, you'll hear the noises your house makes — the creaking of walls and floors, the hum of the refrigerator, the banging of the radiators. When you listen to something, you don't just hear it, but you really pay attention to the sounds. You can listen to music, listen for the sound of your guests arriving, or listen to the advice your grandfather gives you. The phrase listen in means to eavesdrop on, or deliberately overhear, a conversation. The t in the middle of the word listen is silent (you can't hear it even if you listen).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

listen listens listened listening

Jerry treats each song as a poem and doesn’t listen to the music until after the pair has finished their analysis.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026

In Southern California, fans can listen to the game on 640 AM and 103.9 FM.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

“I’m going to sit in your meetings, I’m going to learn as much as I can…My ask back is just some reciprocity: that you be willing to listen to me.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"I won't go to COP where we already know they won’t listen to us, while my village here is burning," she said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

She told us about how the people who hold office really need to listen to the people they represent, even if they don't say much.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

The tunes and chord changes fail to lodge in memory even after repeated listens, hooks don’t land, and tempos are generally drowsy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

“It invites you. That’s the quiet truth at the heart of every listening bar: the room listens back.”

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

City Hall needs someone who listens and is “willing to grow,” said Marlene Fonseca, who heads the Engineers and Architects Assn., a union that endorsed Raman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

"Imagine a grandfather who silently embraces you every day, listens to you, and has always been strong and full of life," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

She maybe sees why Luke Messenger is so mellow if he listens to this.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Once Jan calmed down, they drove without speaking, listened to music and watched the scenery go by.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026

He listened for engines, and by now he could distinguish between the sounds even of similar vehicles such as quad bikes and motorcycles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

CHANDLER, Ariz. — At balloon-adorned tables in red, white and blue, a handful of voters inside a church gymnasium listened as Medina Moore explained what to do if federal agents show up at the polls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The minister said he had listened to their concerns.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Clare listened for a moment, then tried again.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

"Postnatal depression can happen to anyone and this is why the veil of shame needs to come down, through education or through listening to people," said Laura.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Vlasenko kept silent, so that the Russians, if they were listening in, would think him dead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Finally, residents of Linton-on-Ouse in north Yorkshire stare down the barrel of a lens on the front page of the Daily Express, under the headline: "You are not listening!"

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Not listening to outside noise is a big part of how Ippolito ended up in “I Play Rocky.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

With a quick glance around to check no one was listening, she whispered, ‘Remember, it’s normal. It’s just an afternoon in the park. Okay?’

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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Related Words

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